Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor - Chapter 529

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 528
Fire. Coronation Preparations
An afternoon like any other.
Captain Akorella flipped through reports with her feet propped up on the desk. Tedious and dull as it was, she had no choice—without completing this paperwork, her research permits wouldn’t be approved.
The moment Captain Akorella scrawled her signature and closed the report—
Knock, knock.
“Captain. The mana stones sent abroad have been recovered.”
“Come in. Everyone’s responding quickly.”
“Yes. It seems they all had their own reasons prepared.”
A mage entered carrying mana stones and letters—items that had traveled abroad during wartime preparations. Captain Akorella needed to verify they hadn’t been rigged with malicious devices. She grabbed one of the visible mana stones and tapped it with her fangs.
“What about Jeonseogoo’s reply?”
“It’s here. Should I deliver it directly to Ian?”
“Yes. While you’re at it, have some mana recovery potion before you go.”
“Ah, no thank you.”
“Come on, no side effects! Really.”
Captain Akorella lowered her feet from the desk in exasperation, but the mage’s resolve was firm.
“You said the same thing a few days ago. The kids all buried their noses in their food and fell asleep right there. With the coronation right around the corner, we’re drowning in work. If I fall asleep now, we’re genuinely finished. Until Ian guarantees it’s safe, everyone refuses to even smell it.”
“Madmen. You’re all stuffed with greed. After the coronation, you won’t be able to drink even if you want to, you fools! Experience a proper tumble on the battlefield!”
“Falling seems safer than sleeping in the middle of a warzone, at least.”
“Get out, you brat.”
“Thank you for your time.”
The mage saluted briefly and hurried out of the laboratory. Watching his retreating figure, Captain Akorella clicked her tongue, then gazed at the countless medicine bottles lining the walls with a look of pity.
My beloved youngsters… These ignorant fools don’t appreciate their worth and reject them. It’s all because I’m too talented! Tsk, tsk!
“Right, I need to work on this again.”
Clink. In Captain Akorella’s hand was a potion of forgetfulness—something she’d created long ago using dragon scales when she walked the line between life and death.
The problem was that due to the nature of ‘forgetfulness,’ she couldn’t experiment on herself, and the other mages vehemently refused, leaving the research suspended.
Captain Akorella tapped the bottle regretfully, then unfolded a letter. It was a response from various nations regarding their invitations to Jin’s coronation.
“Interesting. Look at these.”
With each page she turned, Captain Akorella’s frown deepened. After reaching the final letter, she stuffed all the correspondence into her pocket and kicked open the laboratory door.
Crash!
“Captain, where are you going?”
“The Minister’s office. To report.”
“Yes. Safe travels.”
‘For someone who limps, she sure knows how to kick a door.’
‘I even saw her do a flying kick at Berik last time.’
The mages whispered quietly among themselves, then realized they also had matters requiring Ian’s approval and scrambled to their feet. Given that Captain Akorella was moving personally, something important seemed to be escalating, which meant Ian might be heading out on field duties.
Meanwhile, in Ian’s office.
Knock, knock, knock!
“Is that Akorella? Come in.”
“How did you know?”
“You’re the only one making such a fuss.”
I was working on documents while facing Romandro. The scratch of my pen continued as half-worn pen tips and empty coffee cups accumulated in a messy pile beside me.
With the coronation approaching, most departments likely looked similar to this. Captain Akorella pulled over a chair and sat beside Romandro, then immediately retrieved a letter from her pocket.
“These are responses from various nations, including the Hawan Kingdom and Ruswena.”
“They arrived quickly.”
“They’re all sending representatives, it seems?”
Sending representatives to the Emperor’s coronation ceremony was politically equivalent to supporting Burgos’s faction.
“Not a single one missing?”
Surely that couldn’t be.
As Romandro’s eyes widened, Captain Akorella waved two sheets of paper with a reluctant expression, as if unsure whether this was fortunate or not.
“Cliffford and Astana say their kings will attend personally. Especially Cliffford—it looks like the entire royal family will participate.”
“That’s right! Yes, that’s how it should be! Of course, because it’s Hasara!”
“But this is really damaging to our dignity, isn’t it? These mad fools with holes in their heads can’t tell right from wrong—I don’t know what they’re doing. Do they all want to be diced up and buried?”
Romandro’s eyes widened in surprise. This was something else. Wasn’t her language no different from long-haired Berik’s?
Captain Akorella read through each nation’s response one by one.
“From the Hawan Kingdom: Hello, blah blah blah. So… they say they hope for Bariel’s endless glory and all that, but the king is feeling poorly and can’t attend in person, so instead the royal court will send a Prime Minister with deep experience. This bastard? Our Prime Minister has remained steadfast through two changes of kings, so it seems time to keep him in check—we’re sending him to Bariel. Whether you kill him or spare him, do as you see fit.”
“W-wait, is it really written like that? Akorella?”
“Are you crazy? Of course not. But that’s what it reads like. Next is Ruswena.”
Rustle.
Captain Akorella read the text aloud, pronouncing each character distinctly.
“Time has indeed passed. That small, young boy is now the Emperor of the Empire. As you know, I have unpleasant memories from there, so I have no desire to set foot there personally. I trust you understand. Especially since Ian Hielo, the Minister of Magic, has returned alive after ten years—should I go to Bariel out of fear? I’m sending a subordinate in my place, so please receive Iza with the nation’s best regards. Damn it!”
Romandro, just to be sure, picked up the letter that Captain Akorella had handed over and checked it again. It should be an official document with proper and formal content, so how could she read it like that?
But I simply listened with my ears open and continued moving my pen, as if I had anticipated this.
“The northern rabble are even worse. They say they can’t come because it’s too far! Idiots. We even told them that mages would open portals to guide them to Bariel’s border, yet they make such excuses. Isn’t this openly asking for trouble? What kind of nation do they think we are!”
“T-the Bariel Empire. Ako, calm down for a moment.”
“I’m so angry I can’t stay still. I need to meet Rutherford in person and hear what sweet talk he used to deceive the neighboring nations. When I meet him, I was planning to smash just one of his legs, but I think I should cut off both.”
Bang!
Captain Akorella struck the desk roughly, and ink splattered. I finally set down my pen and spoke to Captain Akorella.
“Akorella. I understand your feelings, but the more forcefully we react, the more Bariel’s national prestige diminishes. Exercise restraint.”
Especially in front of Prince Jin.
“We made a mistake. On the scales between Rutherford and Bariel, we made the error of allowing them to judge that Rutherford’s side was heavier.”
As I smiled coldly, Romandro flinched and stepped back. It would have been better if I had vented my emotions with harsh words like Akorella, but now I looked ready to tear people apart with a smiling face. At least, that’s how Romandro perceived it.
“Mistakes should be corrected. Through the coronation ceremony and through the coming wars, we will show them how wrong their choice was and make them think correctly. So set aside personal matters and do your best in preparation.”
Captain Akorella simply sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
“Yes. Then I’ll prepare to open portals soon. Still, there’s no nation that’s completely refusing to attend except the north, so we’ll need to open at least four or more portals. Is that alright with you?”
“Of course. No problem.”
“Then exemplarily, please take some recovery potion in front of the children.”
“No. I’m fine. Really.”
I laughed while organizing the documents. It was unclear whether this was a joking refusal or not. Captain Akorella pestered me, saying the side effects were almost completely resolved, but my answer remained the same.
“Since you say you won’t take it, all the other kids just shut their mouths and eat bread! If they’re groaning during the coronation ceremony, who am I supposed to work with? Huh?”
“I’ll open the portals myself, so tell everyone to stay in good condition. There must be no mistakes during the coronation ceremony.”
“Pardon? You mean Ian will open them by yourself? Alone?”
“Yes. Alone.”
“But casting and dispelling the spell is already a monumental task.”
“Opening them all at once will suffice.”
Captain Akorella’s mouth fell open. What was Ian saying? The Mage Disciples barely managed to open portals while being beaten down by amplifiers. And now he was talking about opening portals simultaneously across the vast distance from the capital to the border—alone?
“Ako, you’re drooling.”
Romandro, unaware of how extraordinary Ian’s statement was, gently closed her jaw and offered comfort.
“No, Ian! Ian!”
I couldn’t quite explain it. Whether it was because I had awakened to the fact that this body—the body of the illegitimate Ian—was a god’s body, or whether it was the effect of the Abyss, or perhaps a god’s blessing.
Regardless, ever since consuming the recovery elixir, I could feel my entire body overflowing with magical power in a way my former self could never have imagined.
* * *
Chloe frowned as she examined the deep scar lingering around her mouth. Nearly ten days had passed, yet whenever she looked at the wound, anger would suddenly surge within her.
‘Princess Chloe. Is your wound healing well?’
‘How dare you ask if it’s healing well? Does it look like it is?’
‘Yes. From the way you’re speaking, it seems fine. Physical wounds heal with time, but wounds of the heart do not heal easily. Both you and I have carried deep pain from showing ourselves in an unfavorable light before others. Would it not be wise for us to come to an agreement now? You couldn’t stop me even if you demanded my flesh be cut away. Wouldn’t that be mutually beneficial? As a businesswoman, my calculations are swift, and I don’t suppose you need me to explain further?’
‘Is that how you apologize? I will certainly—!’
‘Ah, Princess. I did not come merely to apologize.’
Then she tilted her head slightly to reveal the hair ornament—embedded with the imperial jewel that was the source of all this trouble.
Since concealment had proven futile, displaying it so openly made Chloe realize something had gone wrong, and she furrowed her brow.
‘Thanks to this, I received an invitation to the imperial palace and had the honor of meeting Prince Jin. Seeing him up close, he truly is a beautiful person—I could barely speak. His Highness graciously forgave our mistakes and bestowed this upon me as a token of his forgiveness.’
‘What? What did you say?’
‘It is all thanks to Princess Chloe. Had you and your friends not committed that regrettable act, when else would I have received such an honor? I shall have another opportunity to sit with His Highness, and if possible, I will inquire about your well-being. Though I’m not sure if he will be curious.’
Crash!
Chloe, without thinking, hurled the jewelry box and shattered the mirror. The servants waiting in the back flinched momentarily before swiftly tidying the area. Only then did Chloe look out the window instead of at the mirror, and approached it with bewilderment at the unfamiliar sky.
“…What is that?”
“Oh, Miss. Please don’t worry too much. A few days ago, an official notice came down from the Magic Department. They said it’s for foreign guests arriving. Unlike before, multiple portals can now open simultaneously, they said not to be alarmed. It is rather strange, isn’t it?”
Small black moons floating in the sky. Previously, opening even one required the entire Magic Department to mobilize their efforts, yet here they were.
Chloe immediately recognized that Ian was the cause of the gap between then and now. It was certain that the Magic Department had helped Kayla move about with the jewel in her possession without any obstruction. The Empire stood on the brink of war, and Hollinga was conducting weapons business.
Chloe bit her nails nervously and muttered.
“Ian Hielo…”
There was only one point of entry. If Kayla had reached it, then so could she.
“I’m going too.”
“Pardon? Miss, where are you—”
“War. What difference does it make if it’s here or there?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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